merzouga

“The rally is finished and I am so grateful that I got a shot as a co-driver in Garry’s buggy. We did well. Two newbies to the vehicle and to our tasks, as well as being in a team, the Connell/Seel team. Both of us very experienced on the motorcycle back, but it is different to do racing in a buggy and doing it together. A win in our class, and a fourth in the total, a result of our teamwork. Makes me proud.

It has truly been yet another great adventure and competition which has given me more experience of desert rallying, a lot of new first-time situations technically, mechanically and physically. Those flat tires really wears you out, let me tell you. But all in all I feel that I am still learning and developing for the future.

I really don’t think that I’ve realized just how much I’ve been missing it all until I arrived here last weekend. I do believe this is me – the rally, the desert, the race. It will always be a part of me. And I want more of it.”

Garry:

“When we took the start, we started ‘attacking’ the soft sand small dunes… Everything was going well until I took a hole a bit fast and got trapped in the sand… We lost about 25 minutes, but happy to have made it in spite of the problems.

In front of the dunes of Merzouga, we deflated our tires. But… one of us pushed a button with the helmet and launched the fire extinguisher and we took a shower of dust!

The Rally of Merzouga was a great training for the Dakar, last week I was in the Rally of Morocco – makes two continued races. Next goal: The Dakar, next January!”

This has been a great experience for both, learning a lot, much training – and preparing for The Dakar…

Connel – Seel: “Day after day I’m getting more comfortable on the dunes and I’m happy because my riding technique on the big dunes of Merzouga is getting more accurate also thanks to the precious support of Annie (Seel) my co-driver. For sure it’s a great experience and a good preparation for Dakar”.

A few mishaps, like a snapped drive belt and getting stuck in the sand a few times, caused quite much time loss. Nothing serious though.

“During the first 30 or 40 kilometers, navigation was very difficult and we overtook a number of cars that were ahead of us. At km 50 we were the first SSV. We kept the pace for more than half of the race. There were some small dunes, sandy tracks and lots of fesh-fesh… We crossed a lake and went on an oued, all that over fesh-fesh,” tells Garry, pleased with the stages outcome for his crew.

Tonight, all competitors will sleep under the stars at the dunes of Merzouga. It will be a magic moment where the assistances do not have access and are not allowed to work in the parc ferme.

Already early in the stage we had a flat tyre in the rocky terrain. Quick wheel change but passed by some. Getting into the dunes we had high tyre pressure so before starting to climb the big ones we stopped to let pressure down. Unfortunately we were already stuck and had to jack the car up. Then tried to get out but still didn’t move so we jacked it up again, and now used sand ladders. Finally Garry could drive to a more solid ground and I ran behind with the ladders! Lost more than one hour in the dunes.
Rest of the day went well until one roadbook direction was a bit unclear (wrong) and we were backtracking to find the right way.
At the cp4 the organisers cut the stage so we headed back.
All in all, a lot of dune experience of the sweaty kind.

First day of the rally included a 130 km warm up with some big dunes. And in the evening a time qualification prologue race. During the warm up we had two flat tyres and also rolled. But no damages or drama. Prologue 7th place, not pushing it.